Current:Home > reviewsEchoSense:Nevada judge used fallen-officer donations to pay for daughter's wedding, prosecutors say -FundPrime
EchoSense:Nevada judge used fallen-officer donations to pay for daughter's wedding, prosecutors say
FinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-11 08:09:23
An ex Las Vegas councilwoman,EchoSense former assembly member and current Nevada judge has been federally charged in connection with an alleged charity fraud scheme in which prosecutors say she pocketed more than $70,000 in donations intended to honor fallen officers.
Michele Fiore, 53, is charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, The U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday.
According to the indictment handed down on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Fiore, who lives in the town of Pahrump, "solicited donations to build a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers" killed in the line of duty as a then-Las Vegas city councilwoman.
Pahrump is a small town not far from the California state line, at the southernmost tip of Nye County where Fiore is a justice of the peace.
Fiore is "a conservative firebrand and fervent gun-rights advocate who published a calendar of herself pictured with various high-powered firearms", the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network reported. As an assemblywoman in 2015 she introduced a campus carry bill that would have allowed concealed carry permit holders to have guns on college campuses, at K-12 schools and at day care facilities.
Funds raised were to create statue to honor fallen officers
Fiore allegedly promised donors “100% of the contributions” would be used to create the statue, the indictment alleges.
But prosecutors said Fiore did not use the tens of thousands of dollars in charitable donations for the statue of the fallen officer and instead converted the money to her personal use.
"The donations were used to pay her political fundraising bills and rent and were transferred to family members, including to pay for her daughter’s wedding," officials wrote in the release.
Federal court papers obtained by USA TODAY show Fiore is represented by Las Vegas-based attorney George P. Kelesis and was slated to enter a plea on the charges Friday.
USA TODAY has reached out to Kelesis.
'A horrific scene':Triple decapitation: Man accused of killing parents, family dog in California
Michele Fiore faces up to 20 years in prison on each felony count
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case which remained open Thursday, officials said.
If convicted, she faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on each criminal felony count.
Contributing: Jeffrey Meehan with the Reno Gazette Journal.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (598)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Chris Martin falls through stage at Coldplay tour concert in Australia: See video
- Jury sees video of subway chokehold that led to veteran Daniel Penny’s manslaughter trial
- Taylor Swift Takes Getaway Car to Travis Kelce's Chiefs Game One Day After Eras Tour Milestone
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Georgia authorities probe weekend shooting that left 2 dead, officer injured
- 'Melt away' your Election Day stress: Puppy-cuddling events at hotels across the US on Nov. 5
- Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Election Day? Here's what we know
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Families settle court battle over who owns Parkland killer’s name and likeness
Ranking
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Opinion: Women's sports are on the ballot in this election, too
- 2 human bones discovered in Philadelphia park with no additional evidence, police say
- Grimes Trolls Ex Elon Musk With Comment About Dating Guys Interested in Outer Space
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- The Daily Money: Spending less on election eve?
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sidelined indefinitely with undisclosed illness
- NFL trade deadline live updates: Latest news, rumors, analysis ahead of Tuesday's cutoff
Recommendation
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
32 things we learned in NFL Week 9: Any teams making leap at trade deadline?
Abortion is on the ballot in nine states and motivating voters across the US
Kourtney Kardashian Shares Photos of Baby Rocky's First Birthday Party Celebrations
Travis Hunter, the 2
The Best Christmas Tree Candles to Capture the Aroma of Fresh-Cut Pine
How to find lost or forgotten pensions, 401(k)s, and retirement money
Manslaughter charges dropped in a man’s death at a psychiatric hospital